


Swallow Grass Snakes

by coffeecrowns



Series: born in the summer (sun didn't shine) [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Everyone is Trans, Falling In Love, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Past Character Death, Wooing, briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 18:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8457280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeecrowns/pseuds/coffeecrowns
Summary: Twelve glimpses into the wooing of Thomas Jefferson.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I told myself this year that I wasn't going to do the Nanowrimo because obviously I'm way to busy to do something like that. And then I found myself writing all this series in like three days. 
> 
> There's going to be more of this. It also wouldn't exist without raven_aorla who is a gem and introduced me to this ship. 
> 
> Title comes from the french idiom meaning to put up with humiliation. I choose titles for maximum irony.

1.

Sometime mid September last term, Dolley had nearly been run over by a sprinting cutie. She'd had a bit of a crush since. “They ran off so fast I didn't even _get_ to ask their pronouns.” She'd complain.

It sort of become a running joke between the two of them. (It also sparked the discussion about which poly configurations they’d like to make work)

On a date, they're out for frozen yogurt. It's a quiet shop, probably because it's February. They're only a scratching the surface of second term. James found the spot and Dolley set the date. It's cute, sitting across from each other, sampling different flavours.She likes to mix all of the flavours together, he likes to pick one of the pre set combos, and cover it in fudge.

 “You remember the person you saw last term with Afro and the ask for pronouns button?” He teases, because of course she does.

 “Yes?” She asks, not sure where he's going with this.

“Would you recognized a sort of blurry picture of them?”

She makes grabby hands for his phone, “probably!”

She stares at the phone, zooms in a little bit. Then she sits bolt upright. “That’s them! I’d know those eyes.” 

James has not actually looked into Thomas Jefferson's eyes, but resolves to look into it.She takes another bite of frozen yogurt. “Alright then. Tell me about them.”

James stops with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Some fudge drips back into the bowl. He fakes nonchalance, “I haven't really noticed them except for today. They're just in my philosophy class.”

“Babe, you're red and your voice has jumped the octave.” She says it gently, James hates when his body does that.

“Their name is Thomas, preferred pronouns are they them and without any rhyme or reason, everyday they manage to wear something purple. Their very good at debating philosophy but bad at asking for group project partners.”

 Dolley just grins. “You've got a crush!”

 He sobers, “is that okay?”

 She looks at him. “Of course. You're adorable. Not to mention I haven't gotten them out of my mind.”

He smiles. “Do you want to like -”

“Woo him? Yes.”

Having suddenly A Lot to discuss, James pulls out a notebook. They start plotting over logistics, this is going to work best if they're all dating and all equals. They'll have to work to fold in a new person, but they really want it.

  


2.

So here's the thing: James is Bad at asking people out. But he's in a good place to do it, strategy wise.

He approaches Thomas, tries to calm his nerves. He won't stutter, this will be smooth and polished.

“I’m James, I know we haven’t talked, but you ran into my girlfriend.” Oh shit.

Thomas raises an elegant eyebrow. Oh shit.

 “Recently?” Asks Thomas. They also look unsure . “I mean, did I apologize?” Oh, interesting.

 James smiles. He's told his cute when he smiles and it's reassuring to know Thomas is also out of his depth. “I'm sure you did, but she's upset you ran off before she could ask your pronouns.”

He says it like it's more innuendo than not.

Thomas can read the situation, and smiles back.

“And how do you feel about me?” They say. James is flirting, nice.

“I’m just amazed by all the purple clothes you have. You’re like, improbably purple.” Oh shit.

Thomas just laughs, a sound that James is now a huge fan of.

“Would you like to go for coffee, Dolley can talk to you finally, it’ll be fun?” He’s awkward sure, but Thomas seems intrigued.

Thomas has these gorgeous eyes, dark brown, deep. James wants to see them under nicer light, rather than this fluorescent bullshit.

“I’d love to,” is the reply James nearly misses.

“Tomorrow?” asks James. “There’s a nice place, bit of a hike, but worth it, discourages crowds.” (A fact that was once true but less so now that Dolley's friend Angelica brings her squad along.)

“My last class ends at four. Its econ 305, come pick me up. Your girlfriend can _ask m_ y _pronouns._ I promise I won’t rant about Hamilton the whole date.”

James did a project with the man in question “We can just the walk there then?”

“Okay, but it better be nice tomorrow, or I’m holding you responsible,” Thomas teases (the alliteration is real).

  


3.

Just because it's them, its snows the whole day. It's not quite cold enough to stick around, leaving wet sludge over everything, clouds low in the sky. Thomas’s eyes turn to honey and coffee, warm and welcoming when outside. Dolley and Thomas are both wearing uggs, and bond over complaining about the weather.

  


4.

That first coffee date goes well. It goes well enough, they go skating together.

 They have a group chat now. “Logistics.” says Dolley. “Logistics.”

 Thomas would say, if asked, that it was good for their trio, it got them used to existing in the same space as each other. Dolley and James to make space, Thomas be fill it. Less poetically, all three were actually terrible at skating, regularly fall and drag the others down with.

 Thomas of course, was asked, by Lafayette, who wholeheartedly approved.  Thomas had been sworn to secrecy about how clumsy they all are. Their agreeing, since they like the put-together image they present. (Except when around Hamilton, man fuck that guy.)

  


5.

The Met makes a good date. Pay what you want and then endless conversation pieces. Sometimes they have serious discussions about queer history, black history, taking pride in their people. Sometimes they walk around, pointing at specifically grotesque or elegant pieces, and saying “that's you!”

 Depends on the date.

 

6.

It's just, Thomas is a weird person. It's not the gender thing, Dolley has to rescue James from binders (bimonthly it seems), and he helps her when he arrives in her room and she’s frantic, “Help me find my left boob!” (It's a good thing she’s got a single.) No, Thomas is weird because they’re low-key obsessed about the enlightenment (went on for an hour the second time spending the night in Dolley’s room, as no one could sleep), they’re prickly, their passionate, their brilliant. That’s the best word for it.

They room with Lafayette. They like to joke they submitted housing forms at the same time so when the poor soul saw the “other” box for gender checked, wept with joy, since there was two of them. The endless books, the herb garden by the window, the flags. (James and Dolley don’t spend a ton of time in the room.)

They also like, haven’t declared their major yet. No one knows how they're getting away with it until they reveal they have a 4.0, which gives some explanation. They’re a big fan of calculus, but also are in three language classes, Latin, French, and German.

Dolley finds it adorable. She’s impressed, though. They’ve got clever eyes, they know how to read situations, they’re genuinely interested and show it, they’re chivalrous while still throwing their height around. James hates the short jokes, and then she lets him know how cute he looks wrapped in Thomas’s hoodie.

James doesn't like cooking, but doesn't mind mincing vegetables, like cutting onions to persevere the other's eye makeup. Dolley prefers baking. Thomas burns water unless they’re cooking stupidly stereotypical southern food, mac and cheese or they get to put wine in it. The dinners they put together are unique, but always are a fun way to unwind, and almost always taste good.

 

7.

Between keeping up with her boyfriend and wooing a second partner, it takes her longer than she’d like to admit to realize Thomas is wooing them back.

 _She_ surprises _them_ with baked goods from a girls night at Angelica’s (who has a surprisingly nice oven ), with flowers, with her and James making lasagna.

But they give her backrubs, they encourage her mid research paper, and bring her coffee.  

 

8.

Thomas laughs at their puns. They try to hide it but their eyes light up. It’s adorable. Sometimes they even laugh.

 

9.

So, Thomas is weird, but a compatible weird. They’re chilling in her room, her and Thomas. James will be there soon, and then they’re going to make things official. Thomas is rubbing her back, and it feels _heavenly_.

James comes in, “Holy shit, they do it for you too!”

She pokes the only part of Thomas she can reach, their hand. “Hey, buddy, we’re supposed to be wooing _you_.”

“You should have let me know that,” they say. “ _I_ wasn’t aware.”

“Don’t be coy,” says James.

“Well if you were _officially_ my girlfriend and boyfriend, it might be easier to justify.” They smile.

(James should have known, he offered a challenge:” _Don’t be coy”_ )

 “How did you know?” they both say.

 “You texted it to the group chat.” and then thomas is laughing.

 “Is that a yes?” asks Dolley, as James is stunned quiet.

 “Yes,” they say. “Yes, I want to be your sig fig.”

 “Nerd,” says James.

 (It's a testament to listening skills that it requires no explanation)

 “Eloquent,” says Thomas.

 “Dumbasses,” says Dolley.

 

10.

Thomas and Dolley do each other's hair. They split the cost of the biggest tub of coconut oil money can buy. The hair ties and silk scarves in James’s life increases exponentially. His partners are gorgeous. 

 

11.

There's a pet name thing. A week and a half into being official, (3 months of wooing) Thomas sends a text to the group chat. ( It's currently named cuties + bootys) They write “I know this is weird but I’d really not a fan of some pet names.”

 So obviously they’d like to talk about that. Curled up together, ideally.

 “Back in high school, in Virginia, before I was out, I dated this girl named Martha. High school sweethearts, you know how it goes. I called her darling and she called be sugar, honey, sweetheart. Real southern, you know?”

 Thomas goes quiet, sucks in a breathe, “she was hit by a semi a month before graduation.”

 Oh. 

Shit.

 “I'm liked used to darling because of sarcasm, but the rest of those aren't so good.”

 “Hey, baby, thanks for telling us,” says Dolley, who is the best.

 “Can I hug you?” Asks James.

 “Please,” says Thomas.

 Objectively, Thomas isn't great at kissing, out of practice compared to the other two. But they're patient and soft and adorably enthusiastic.

  


12.

Walking together, they alternate holding hands. It just flows. He’s standing on Thomas’s left, who's in the middle. He isn’t touching either of them, just existing in their space. He hopes this works out.

Him and Dolley are both relatively short, He’s 5’4 and she’s 5’5, so Thomas should tower over them. But instead they complement their little trio. James so hopes this works out, sue him, he’s sentimental, but he likes the shape the three person shadow makes.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thomas Jefferson, historically:  
>  was super crazy smart who spoke like 8 languages and had tons of careeers/skills  
>  was actually pretty chill and limelight avoiding (except when dealing with Hamilton)  
>  was 6'2 to James Madisons 5'4  
>  was seriously fucked up by his wife's death, kept a locket with a lock of her hair with him until he died  
>  was bff's with Lafayette, and they did technically live together, but only for 11 days when Lafayette came to visit in 1824, two years before Jefferson died.
> 
> My entire knowledge of this time period comes from either Hamilton or frantically reading Wikipedia articles because I'm not America and I take AP European History. Sorry. 
> 
> Anyways thank you for reading this and if you have a comment, or wanna just tell me fun American History facts I will love you forever.


End file.
